Ward Level Committees To Be Strengthened In Kerala, More Restrictions To Be Put To ‘Crush COVID-19 Curve’

Kannur: The Kerala government on Monday (April 12) said ward level committees would be strengthened to fight the surge in coronavirus cases and more restrictions would be put in place to ‘crush the COVID-19 curve’ Health Minister K K Shailaja, while stating this, said Kerala would require more vaccines than now being supplied by the Centre for the mass vaccination campaign as the current stocks would not be adequate for the purpose.

Also Read: COVID-19 Pandemic Long Way From Over, Virus And Its Variants Can Be Stopped: WHO Chief

She said she has requested Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to supply enough vaccines for this drive. The Minister said the aim was to ‘crush the COVID-19curve’ and noted that in the earlier phase, government had delayed the peak.

Now there is a surge in cases after the elections and we are trying to crush the curve and save more lives. The ward-level committees to fight COVID-19 will be strengthened at the grassroot level. More restrictions will be put in place. We have Public Health Centres in all panchayats and most of them have been upgraded to Family Health centres, she told reporters.

She also added that the ward members, panchayat presidents, the chief of PHCs would all work together to tackle COVID-19.

Also Read: Public Health And Social Measures Remain The Key To Stop Coronavirus Transmission: WHO South-East Asia Region

On availability of vaccines, she noted that the Centre promptly delivers them whenever the state puts forward are quest when stocks are down.

But now we are a bit worried as we have started the mass vaccination campaign. The current stock will not be enough for this purpose, she said and referred to her request for more vaccines.

On Monday, the state reported 5,692 COVID-19 cases and 11related deaths. The minister also said that the state has so far administered 50 lakh doses of Covishield and Covaxin vaccine.

The state has so far given 50,71,550 doses of COVID-19vaccine (49,19,234 dose Covishield and 1,52,316 dose Covaxin). Out of these 45,48,054 people got the first dose while5,23,496 received the second dose, she said in a release.

The health department said there are 1,826 vaccinationcentres across Kerala, including 1,402 in government hospitalsand 424 in private hospitals.

Also Read: Non-Adherence To COVID-19 Norms, Virulent Strains Could Be Behind Surge In Infections: AIIMS Chief

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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